Wyatt Emory Cooper (September 1, 1927 – January 5, 1978) was an American author, screenwriter, and actor.

[citation needed] Cooper was from a poor family with deep Southern roots, and later moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, as a young child.

He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he majored in theater arts and began a career in acting.

[citation needed] In his thirties, Cooper lived in Los Angeles, attended both UCLA and UC Berkeley, and worked as a screenwriter.

While residing in West Hollywood, then an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, Cooper lived near Dorothy Parker and her husband Alan Campbell.